ARLO RAMOS: They were placed, lined up there in an open space. These bodies look very muddy, and are difficult to recognise because they were soaked in mud.

REBECCA BRICE: World Vision worker Arlo Ramos has been in one of the worst hit areas - the Compostela Valley.

ARLO RAMOS: It's really very depressing. It's very heartbreaking when I saw these individuals. You can really see them just around crying and asking for help. But some, you can see that they are smiling but these smiles are, despite what happened to them they would like to thank that they're still alive.

REBECCA BRICE: Are there many people who are looking for missing family members?

ARLO RAMOS: Yeah I saw some people who are still very hopeful because they have lost loved ones.

REBECCA BRICE: Of the survivors, more than 200,000 are homeless. Most are in the 400 or so evacuation centres set up. But Arlo Ramos says some are making do elsewhere.

ARLO RAMOS: Along the highways we can see families who have made makeshift along the way because they have had no choice. They were left homeless.

REBECCA BRICE: The Philippines government has released $US200 million for relief operations.

David Carden is with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Philippines.

DAVID CARDEN: It's very important that we get aid into support these people as soon as possible because there are urgent needs in this area; you know people need food, water, shelter, medicine. The local health unit is providing some sort of medicine but I think more support is needed.

There's no power so they also need generators and gasoline.

REBECCA BRICE: He says rescuers and aid workers are still trying to reach isolated areas.

DAVID CARDEN: We expect those numbers to rise as more information comes in. because we still don't have a clear picture of what the needs are in Negros Oriental, which was also hit by the typhoon, as well as Palawan.

These areas that are also not historically hit by typhoons. So we will be following up with the government and the government is also conducting joint needs assessments in these areas as well.

REBECCA BRICE: It's the deadliest typhoon to hit the country this year, but so far the death toll is well below the 1,200 people killed by a weaker storm last year.

DAVID CARDEN: It is very clear that the preparedness measures undertaken by local government and national government, indeed prompted by the president himself through his warnings too, have definitely helped to save lives.

REBECCA BRICE: The president, Benigno Aquino, will visit the region in the next two days.